Blind and brace connector.



no. 646,423. Patented Apr. 3, |9001 E, n. GAMBELL.

BLIND AND BBACE CONNECTOR.

(Application led Bepi. 6, 1898.) (N0 Mdl.)

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NITED STATES ATENT Fries.

EDWARD R. GAMBELL, OF lI-IEDRICK, IOVA.

BLIND AND BRACE CONNECTOR..

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 646,423, dated April 3, 1900.

pplcatill led September 6, 1898. Serial No. 690,322. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD R. GAMBELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hedrick, in the county of Keokuk and State ofv should the said blind come in contact with an object or receive a blow of sufficient force to disconnect or break an ordinary winker-strap from it and thereby obviate the necessity of supplying a new strap or skilled workmanship to repair the break.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illus.- trated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claim hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a blind and a portion of a winkerstrap constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the body-plate and the staple, showing the parts connected. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the staple.

Like numerals of reference designate4 corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

l designates a blind comprising an ordinary metal body-plate 2 and a leather covering. 8, and the former is provided with a pair of sockets 4, located at the top of the blind, near the outer edge thereof, and adapted for the reception of a staple 5, which forms an eye or loop, whereby a winker-strap 6 is attached to the blind. The strap 6 is doubled on itself to provide an eye through which the staple passes, and the sides of the staple are pointed and enlarged in rear of the points at 7, making substantially harpoon shaped points,

. which frictionally engage the sockets and 5o which are adapted to be reintroduced into the same should the winker-strap become disconnected from the blind.

The sockets 4 are formed bygrooving or depressing the metal body-plate 5 and a supplemental plate 8which is riveted or otherwise secured to the body-plate at the top thereof. By this construction a pair of resilient or partially-yielding sockets is provided for the reception of the sides of the staple, and there is sufficient frictional contact between the staple and the said plates to retain the former 'in the sockets under ordinary conditions; but should .the blind be subjected to a blow or come in contact with an object with sufficient -force to break a winker-strap of the ordinary construction the staple will be simply with.- drawn from the socket and may be readily replaced therein, thereby connecting the winker-strap to the blind without the aid of a harness maker or skilled mechanic.v The leather covering of the blind is provided at its top with openings 9, registering with the sockets 4 and enabling the sides of the staple,y

to be readily introduced into the latter to reconnect the parts after they have been separated.

The invention has the following advantages: The connection between the winkerstrap and the blind has sufficient strength to support the blind, and there is no liability of the staple becoming withdrawn from the socket under ordinary conditions; but should an animal rub its head against a fence and strike the blind against a rail or other object with suiiicient force to break an ordinary winker-strap the staple will be simply withdrawn from the sockets and may be readily replaced therein. The pointed ends of the staple facilitate the introduction of the latter into the sockets, and the enlargements adjacent` to the points provide for the necessary vfrictional contact with the sockets, and as the plates which fo rm the sockets are constructed of thin sheet metal they provide a certain amount of resiliency, which insures the necessary frictional contact.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

IOC

NVhat I claim isond portions enlarged for insertion in and The combination with a blind,of a resilient friotional engagement with the socket-plate, socket member consisting of two plates havsubstantially as described. 'ulg portions thereof swaged outwardly in op- In testimony that I claim the foregoingr as 5 posite directions at opposite points and semy own I have hereto affixed my signature in I5 cured Hatwise in Contact with each other and the presence of two Witnesses.

fastened and concealed between the plies of EDW'ARD R. GAMBELL. the blind, and a strap-connecting device con- Vitnesses: sisting of an open loop or staple having its IV. N. DE ARMOND,

1o central portion connected to the strap and its J. C. HUNTER. 

